Inhalt: #2 - Frühjahr 2004
SEBASTIAN CLAREN
KONSTRUKTION UND KONZEPTUALITÄT
TOM JOHNSON
MUSIC METAPHYSICS
BUNITA MARCUS
IDEAS AND CONCEPTS
EDUARDO POLONIO
DER ZUFALL UND ICH
CHARLOTTE SEITHER
ÜBER DAS HÖREN
ERNSTALBRECHT STIEBLER
ZEILEN
MANOS TSANGARIS
ICH, KONZERT
ZEIT ZU BEGINNEN / SCHNITT
LASSEN SIE UNFINISHED
I am not interested in the esthetics of my music, but rather in its metaphysics. Esthetics has to do with beauty, sounds, appearances, while metaphysics has to do with the essence of the music: where did it come from, how did it make itself, why is it there?
The metaphysics of music is pretty simple in cases where the source was some pre-existing music, the techniques were largely imitation, and the goals had mostly to do with making money, impressing audiences, etc. But the nature of the music we love most is more difficult to explain. It has transcendental qualities that we can’t explain, it seems to come from somewhere beyond music history, beyond mere composition techniques. Those of us who devote our lives to composing do so because we believe that a musical score is much more than notes on paper. But what do we really believe, or believe in?
As a practicing Protestant, my own understanding of this can best be expressed in theological terms, but of course, metaphysical questions are not only for religious people. All composers, Buddhist, agnostic, atheist, or otherwise, must somehow believe in the music they are writing. I can not, of course, assume to know what others believe, and in fact, I am not 100 percent sure of my own convictions, which can sometimes be marred by doubts and exceptions and shifting moods. But let me try to write my own little credo here, which may also help others to understand their own beliefs.
I believe that I was called to compose. To be called is an important idea in Christianity, and not only for pastors. It is satisfying to feel that there is a reason for doing what one is doing, that one’s life has meaning, that one is following some destiny. Composing music is the thing I do best, and it seems inevitable that I have followed this path. Thus the music I write is somehow necessary. I believe that many life decisions were not my choice, that I was somehow obliged to make them, that some sort of fate or destiny was at work. In this regard I often think I am not interested in the esthetics of my music, but rather in its metaphysics. Esthetics has to do with beauty, sounds, appearances, while metaphysics has to do with the essence of the music: where did it come from, how did it make itself, why is it there?
The metaphysics of music is pretty simple in cases where the source was some pre-existing music, the techniques were largely imitation, and the goals had mostly to do with making money, impressing audiences, etc. But the nature of the music we love most is more difficult to explain. It has transcendental qualities that we can’t explain, it seems to come from somewhere beyond music history, beyond mere composition techniques. Those of us who devote our lives to composing do so because we believe that a musical score is much more than notes on paper. But what do we really believe, or believe in?
I believe that many life decisions were not my choice, that I was somehow obliged to make them, that some sort of fate or destiny was at work. In this regard I often think 30 of my decision to study with Morton Feldman after meeting him in a composers‘ conference in 1965. This was certainly not a question of following trends or advice. Hardly anyone in New York really respected this man at that time, and he was just beginning to write his most important music, yet I knew that this was my teacher, that only he could save me after six years of academic music study. In theological terms I could say “God was with me,” and sometimes now I actually feel this, but at that time finding Feldman seemed more to be the result of a personal intentional search, and also just good luck. […]
Excerpt from Tom Johnson: Music Metaphysics
Read more in the physical issue #2 !